Laurel Park is gearing up for an action-packed weekend of Thoroughbred racing from March 28 through March 30, with a compelling mix of rising stars and seasoned runners ready to take the stage.

Friday’s card features Sassafrassness, a promising 3-year-old filly trained by Jamie Ness and ridden by Jaime Rodriguez. After a sharp debut victory, she’ll look to stay unbeaten while stepping into allowance/optional claiming company. Owned by Morris Kernan Jr. and Jagger Inc., Sassafrassness is a half-sister to the stakes winner Speedyness. She will be tested by a strong field that includes stakes winner Shkhara Fire and first-out winner High Paf.

On Saturday, all eyes will be on Magic Express, a 5-year-old gelding from Brittany Russell’s barn, making his return in allowance company after finishing second against similar last Preakness Day. With Sheldon Russell in the irons, he’ll contest a first-level allowance and face off against Coringa, who just finished second in similar company. Magic Express is a son of Good Magic out of the multiple Grade 1 winner Ask the Moon.

Also on Saturday, S S Sinatra makes his presence known. The 5-year-old gelding has been a model of consistency with 3 wins and 6 runner-up finishes from 15 starts. Trained by Kerry Hohlbein and ridden by Angel Cruz, he just missed in the Not for Love Stakes last out and will now tackle a second-level allowance/optional claimer against tough rivals like Tenebris, Classic Joke, and Radical Right.

Sunday’s lineup includes two intriguing runners. Regency Tale, a 3-year-old gelding trained by Ferris Allen and ridden by Jaime Rodriguez, will make his career debut in Race 3. He’s a half-brother to Grade 2 winner Still Having Fun and stakes winner Too Many Kisses.

In Race 4, Slam Notion, trained by Robbie Bailes and piloted by JG Torrealba, will try to turn his string of runner-up finishes into a breakthrough win. The 3-year-old has been second three times at this first allowance level and looks well-measured against contenders like Missed the Turn and Tojo’s Mojo.

Laurel Park races Friday-Sunday, and first post is 12:10 p.m.